[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 19]
[House]
[Page 26537]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                        MEDICARE ADVANTAGE CUTS

  (Mr. PITTS asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, President Obama promised Americans that under 
his health care reform bill they would be able to keep the coverage 
they currently have. Unfortunately, the Pelosi health care bill we will 
consider later this week effectively eliminates the popular Medicare 
Advantage health plans that millions of seniors rely on for medical, 
vision, and dental care.
  In my district, nearly 30,000 seniors are enrolled in one of these 
plans. The average enrollee saves $800, they have a lower 
hospitalization rate, and they report greater satisfaction with their 
plan. The Congressional Budget Office maintains that these cuts could 
``lead many plans to limit the benefits they offer, raise their 
premiums, or withdraw from the program.''
  There are a total of $500 billion in cuts to various Medicare 
programs. I don't think seniors would call reducing their benefits 
health care reform. I don't think seniors would call cutting home 
health care, cutting hospice care, cutting nursing home care health 
care reform. We don't need to destroy Medicare Advantage to reform 
health care.
  This week, Republicans will offer a simpler, better proposal which 
offers real health care reform without taking benefits away from our 
Nation's seniors.

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